Vamp lining for a boot or shoe and method of making a boot or shoe



Sept. 20, 1938; a. B. ENQS 2, ,794,

VAIIP LINING FOR A BOOT OR SHOE AND METHOD OF MAKING A BOOT OR SHOEFiled June 16, 1937' mvgmog a 1 2 .3 BY W j" Omen ATTORNEY PatentedSept. 20, 1938 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE VAMP ammo Foa a poor on SHOE AND METHOD or MAKING A BOOTon snon Benjamin B. Enos, Salem, Mass.

Application June 16, 1937, Serial No. 148,481

8 Claims. (e1. 12-146) This inventionrelates to a boot or shoe, andmore. particularly to a vamp lining therefor and to certain novel stepsin the method of making the boot or shoe;

3 One object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved vamplining of a construction such that the lining may be handled as aone-piece;

ll lining comprising. a sheet of twill or similar hard twisted fabricand a sheet of relatively soft ma- ,terial adhesively secured togetherto. comprise a one-piece vamp lining, and in which the adhesive isselected to be capable of permitting the 2o toe portion of saidcomponent parts of the vamp,

lining to be conveniently separated by the operator, as by the use ofheat or solvents, to permit the operator to readily insert the box toeblank between the toe portions of component parts of 5 the lining.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedmethod of making a boot or shoe, and more particularly in certain novelsteps .thereof comprising'the formation of a one-piece "3o vamp liningblank, the separation of the toe portion thereof and the introduction ofthe box toe blank between the separated toe portions of the componentparts of the lining blank whereby the shoe may be manufactured atminimum expense as and in a simple and more emcient manner.

with these general objects in view, and such others as may hereinafterappear, the invention consists in thevamp lining and inthe steps in themethod of makingthe boot or shoe hereinafter described and particularlydefined inthe claims at the end of this specification. I In the drawingillustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. l is aperspective .of the improved vamp lining with the toe portions 45thereof separated in position to receive the box toe blank; Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section of the one-piece vamp lining blank prior to theseparation of the toe portions thereof; and Fig. 3 illustrates acomposite sheet from which a plurality so .of the novel vamp liningblanks may be cut.-

In its broader aspects, the invention contemplates a one-piece liningblank of a structure capable of enabling the toe portions thereof to beseparated into two components for the reception s5 therebetween of a boxtoe blank.

In the manufacture of the boot or shoe, the toe portions of the improvedlining blank are separated prior to the lasting operation, either in thestitching room, in the lasting room, 'or at any other suitable time, toenablethe box toe blank 5 to be conveniently inserted between thecomponent toe portions and the lasting operation to be performed.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention. the improved vamp liningcomprises a composite structure formed of an underlying foundationmember of relatively hardfabric, preferably in the nature of a twill orsimilar hard twisted fabric and an overlying sheet of flannel or similarrelatively soft material secured to the underlying foundation member toform a one-piece vamp lining. The individual vamp lining blanks may becut or otherwise formed from a sheet of such composite material inaccordance with the usual practice of producing one-piece vamp linings'The overlying flannel or similar sheet is preferably adhesively securedto the underlying foundationmember by the use of an adhesive selected tobe capable of being rendered soft by heator the use of solventsin orderto permit the toe portion of the flannel component to be detached fromthe toe portion of the underlying foundation member so that in themanufacture of a boot or shoe the .toe portion of the vamp lining blankmay be readily separated, as by the operator in the stitching or lastingrooms, and in the manner described, and the usual box toe blank may beconveniently inserted between the separted toe portions of the componentparts I of the one-piece lining, and thereafter the box toe blank andlining may be lasted in accordance with the usual practice.

Referring now to the drawing. It represents the composite'materialfromwhich a plurality of individual one-piece linings i2 may he died outor 0 otherwise formed in accordance with the usual practice. Preferablythe composite sheet in comprises an overlying layer or sheet of flannelif or similar relatively soft material and an underlying foundationmember I6 preferably in the nature of a twill or similar hard twistedfabric. The sheets If, It are combined into a onepiece sheet by aninterposed layer of adhesive l8 and the adhesive llis'selected to becapable of being softened by heat or by solvents or in any othersuitable manner, for example.-by subjecting the blank to impact todestroy the adhesive bond between the components of the toe portion ofthe blank. -In addition, if found of advantage, the f toe portions ofthe blank may be separated by suitable mechanical methods, as by cuttingor slicing the toe portion of the blank.

In the manufacture of a boot or shoe in accordance with the presentinvention, the one-piece vamp lining of the construction above describedmay be treated by the operator in the stitching 'room to render the toeportions of the component members l4, l6 of the one-piece vamp lining tobe capable of being separated into a position such as is shown inFig. 1. This may be conveniently accomplished in various ways ashereinafter described, such for example, as bysubjecting the toe portionto heat as by dipping the same in hot water, or exposure to steam, ifthe adhesive is one which is capable of being softened by heat, or by.dipping the toe portion of the vamp lining into a solvent, if thecharacter of the adhesiverequires a solvent to soften the same, or asabove set forth, by suitable mechanical operations. In-any event, thelining may be separated at the toe portion with minimum effort and atminimum expense and the usual box toe blank readily inserted betweentheportions of be readily separated. If desired, other adhesives.

may be used including known forms of thermoplastic cements such as gums,adhesive gutta percha, latex, or rubber compositions. If found ofadvantage, solvents for the rubber or gums may be used in order toeffect softening thereof to enable the toe portions of the vamp liningblank to be separated instead of heat, or such solvents may be used inconjunction with heat. When Celluloid and similar organic adhesivesareused, suitable organic solvents such as acetone may be required toeffect the softening of the adhesive.

From the. description thus far, it will be observed that the presentvamp lining blank posscsses important practical advantages over anylining blanks of the prior art of which I am aware, and among which maybe mentioned the fact that the one-piece lining blank enables all of theadvantages of a two-piece lining blank to be secured, while at the sametime permitting the material to be handled as one fabric instead of two;to be cut in one operation instead of two; to be put up or cased as onetype instead of two; and because of the fact that the combination of thecomponent parts of the lining blank occur before introduction of theblank into the shoe the production of wrinkles is eliminated, enablingin some instances the necessity for cementing the flannel component tothe leather vamp to be eliminated. In practice the toe portions of thelining blank are opened back-to a predetermined depth thereby enablingmuch better registrationof the box toe blank within the componentportions of the lining blank to be secured.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been hereinillustrated and'described, it will be understood that the invention maybe embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. Almulti-ply vamp lining for a boot or shoe ter capable of beingtreated to enable the toe.

portions of the members to be separated for the reception of a box toeblank.

2. A multi-ply vamp lining for a boot or shoe comprising ,a foundationmember in the nature of a twill and an overlying member in the nature.of a flannel, said members being adhesively secured together with theexception of the toe portions thereof, whereby to permit a box toe.blank to be inserted between the toe portions of said members.

3. In the method of making a boot or shoe, the steps comprising forminga laminated lining blank capable of being handled as a unitary liningblank, separating with the aid of heat the toe portions thereof into twocomponents, introducing a box toe blank in between said components andthen embodying the assembled lining and box toe blank in a boot or shoe.

4. In the method of making'a b'oot or shoe, the steps comprising forminga laminated lining blank capable of being handled as a unitary liningblank, separating with-the aid of a solvent the toe portions thereofinto two components, introducing a box toe blank in between saidcomponents and then embodying the assembled lining and box toe blank ina boot or shoe. 7

5. In the method of making a boot or shoe, the steps comprisingadhesively securing together two component members to 'form, a unitarylining blank,then subjecting the toe portions only of said unitary vamplining blank to treatment to soften the adhesive, then separating thetoe portions of said members and introducing a box toe blank between theseparated toe portions thereof.

6. A vamp lining for a boot or shoe comprising a foundation member inthe nature of a twill and an overlying member in the nature of aflannel, a layer of adhesive between said members securing them togetherto form a unitary structure, said adhesive being er a character topermit the layers being pulled apart to enable the toe portions of themembers to be separated for the reception of a box toe blank.

'7. A multi-ply vamp lining for a boot or shoe, I

ous overlying member substantially coextensive in area with saidfoundation member, a layer of together to form a unitary structure, saidad hesive being of a character to permit of the layers being pulledapart to enable the toe portions of the members to be separatedfor thereceptionof a box toe blank.

adhesive between said members securing them nnmsmn B. Enos.

